BRANDONI throw the last pin on the dartboard, but it doesn’t hit the bull’s eye. I blow out a sharp breath of frustration. “I can’t do it, Ollie. Not again.”
“Relax, man.” He stands, pulls the pins, and hands them back to me. ““I told her it won’t take a month, but it’s been another week.”
I can only connect with her by eating the meals she prepares for me. She’d always leave a note, saying, “Enjoy your day”“I miss you,” Oliver sits on the corner of the desk. “You still have to tell her.”
“This is too much.” I aim for the bull’s eye once more and throw the pin. It barely hits the center. I groan. “How am I supposed to tell her that I am going to be away for such a long time?”
“It’s going to take a year,” Ollie reminds me. “You need a lot of time to completely change yourself. You need to learn everything again. It’s like, back to basics. So, you have to tell Alayna about this.”
I stop. “Did he“Cassius won’t let other hands touch you. Whether you like it or not, he’s going to be your surgeon. He is smart and the most capable person. He’s the most knowledgeable in your case. You’ve got to trust him, buddy. He’s behind all this progress you are having right now. He’s the reason why Alayna can hold you and why you can walk outside again. I am just here on his behalf since you don’t want to see him.”
“You know it’s not like that,” I say, my voice raised. “It’s the fact that he was the first person to know and didn’t tell me that Casey was my sister when he was my best friend. You know how devastated I was when I found out about it.”
“Well, I’m sorry. I was upset about that, too. If I were Cassius, I don’t know if I would have been able to tell you. It was what our father wanted.”
“I know, but it’s not just that.” I sit on the chair and squeeze my temple.
“It’s been a year, Brandon. We cannot change it anymore.”
“He was getting in the way all the time!” I snap. “He provoked me, and then he touched me. He shut me off with that bloody medication again, Ollie. I almost fucking died. I just can’t forget that. He knows that Casey is the only person I have left, and she doesn’t even know about it.”
“Brandon, he didn’t mean to hide it from you,” he says, remaining composed. “He’s just afraid. No one can know that she’s your sister. Her life could be in danger too. What happened last year was an accident. He didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
“It looks like I don’t have a choice at all,” I say. “I wouldn’t want just anyone, anyway.” I hate to admit it, but Cassius is the only person I can trust with the surgery. He knows me, and that’s enough.
I guess there is no turning back now. I toss the last dart pin I’m holding, and this time, I hit the bull’s-eye.
“Your turn.”
He puts his arm over my shoulder. “I didn’t know that I would get to play this with you, but I’m starving.”
“I can do this all day.”
“You need to exercise, but why don’t we eat first?”
“I’m staying here. I’ll wait for you.”
“Oh, come on!” He pats my back. “Alayna must’ve prepared something special.”
“Then you bring it here.”
“Hey, I thought of something,” he suddenly says.
“What?”
“Why don’t you just go on a date with Alayna? Of course, it won’t be in public. It would be a perfect time to tell her. What do you think?”
“How am I supposed to tell her that we won’t see each other for a while after the most fantastic date we ever had, hmm?” I raise an eyebrow.
“So, are you just going to disappear?” He steps in front of me, holding my shoulders. “Come on, Brandon. You can’t do that. She’ll be veryOver my dead body.“You’re already seething.”
I grit my teeth. “Where can I take her then? You know my condition.”
“Is it going to be me again? You have nothing to do tomorrow. What about you take her to Aunt Grethe’s villa in Portland? The place is well maintained by the caretakers, though no one has lived there since. It would be far, but it would be private.”
“Yes, of course,” I mumble.
My mother’s villa“What do you think? It’s a good idea, isn’t it?”
I look up at him. “Will you be able to fly us there?”
“And you really can’t do anything without me,” he says but can’t hide the delight on his face. He chuckles. “I wouldn’t miss the fun. There won’t even be a single person in the neighborhood. Besides, it’s a very romantic place. I’d like to fly you there if you allow me to take Betty.”
I frown. “Your girlfriend?”
“My fiancée,” he corrects.
“Ah, right.” I smile. “Of course, you can take her.”
“Yes! This is why I like you. The Brandon Lucien I know is still there.”
“Only if you take us there.”
“Oh well, that’s my job.” He nods. “I get paid for it. Besides, I’d like to give Betty a tour.”
“You can do whatever you want.” It’s my turn to pat his shoulder. “Hey, I’d like to see Alayna tonight, and I’ll tell her the plan. I’ll probably join you downstairs to eat.”
ALAYNACasey has been so much help in the last few days. She’s easy to work with, she doesn’t brag about her skills and is a good listener. She gets easily fascinated by the simple things I tell her, especially about my culinary experiences. She also speaks about not having a boyfriend for a long time because Oliver and Cassius don’t approve, but she respects her brothers so much.
The more I look at her, the more she reminds me of Brandon. They have the same shade of eyes and hair; the way they smile and gaze at people is so similar. She told me that the Katrakis genes are pale-skinned, with blue and green eyes just like Oliver and Cassius, and a lot of them are blond.
I’m always attracted to blonds. My exes are blond, so I wonder why I’m attracted to Brandon. He’s so different from any other man I’ve met. He is mysterious and caring in his way.
A knock on the door interrupts us. Oliver’s voice echoes in the kitchen. “Is dinner ready?”
“Yes, I’m just making a sauce.” I lift the bowl, showing him.
He sniffs the air. “Smells good.”
“I just hope he’ll like it. I’ll write another note.”
“No need, Alayna.” He flashes out a sweet grin. “He’s going to see you.”
“Oh, God. I’ll hurry up.”
“Easy. You have the whole night,” Casey joins in and giggles. “I know you’ve been waiting for this.”
“And she won’t just have the whole night. Brandon’s free tomorrow.” Oliver winks at me, grinning.
“Wow. Really?” My gaze springs from one sibling to the other. “I can’t wait to be with him again. Thank you, you two.”
I put the sauce in a bowl and place it beside the steak for the final touch. “All done.”
“I’ll carry it for you, and we can have dinner together,” Ollie offers, but Casey quickly holds his arm.
“Hey, you should let her take it to him, you know.” Casey rolls her eyes at her brother. “We don’t want to disturb them.” She lifts the tray and hands it to me. “We can have dinner here, Alayna. We’ll be fine.”
***
Brandon is on the couch, busy scribbling notes on his iPad when I enter his room. He puts down the device when he sees me, smiling sweetly as he stands and walks toward me. I stop pushing the trolley and wait for him to reach me. He cups my face and his lips land on mine while I’m still surprised and dazed. Brandon slips his arm around my waist and squeezes me tighter. I pull away.
“Wait...”
He frowns. “What?”
“You can kiss me now, right?”
His expression softens. “I already kissed you last week, if I’m not mistaken. Or was it a dream?”
I laugh. “No. It’s not a dream.” I slip my arms around his neck, inhaling his sandalwood cologne. He feels warm. “You surprised me. Well, now I’m ready. Kiss me again.”
He smiles and dips his face again to mine. His lips are playful in the next attempt. His tongue plays over my lips, parting them. He thrusts his tongue into my mouth, exploring. His breath tastes like mint and chocolate. Both his hands trail down my thighs, and he lifts me, wrapping my legs around his waist.
Brandon’s expert mouth goes down my neck, leaving my lips much hungrier for him. The sensation is too much. I moan. He brings me to the couch without breaking the kiss. I sit on his lap and jolt when I feel the hard bulge in his pants... Whoa!
“Brandon!”“Hmm, is it?” he whispers, but then he goes back to my breasts until his expert mouth reaches the tip of my cleavage.
“As much as I want to do this, I am starving, and I didn’t eat lunch because I’ve been preparing this since morning,” I say, catching my breath.
He stops, frowning. “You skipped lunch?”
“Oh—yeah.”
“I don’t want you skipping meals for something like this,” he says softly.
“I won’t. We can do this later. I want to kiss you all over if you don’t mind.”
“I won’t mind,” he answers hoarsely.
“Shall we eat now?”
“I’d rather eat you first,” he states but lifts me and puts me on the couch.
Brandon walks toward the food trolley and opens the lid. I can’t help but admire his pure male beauty. He is sexy as hell.
“No note tonight?” he teases.
I grin. “Do you prefer the note?”
“I prefer you to say every single word. Hmm.” He sits back next to me and squeezes me to his side. He kisses my temple. “Your cooking always smells good.”
I curl my arms around his waist. “Can I stay tonight? We can watch movies. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
He hands me a plate with the food I made on it and grabs one for himself.
“Why would you sleep on the couch?” he says.
“Oh, would you “You can sleep in my bed with me,” he says simply and begins slicing his steak with a knife. “Besides, it’s hard to explore every inch of you if you are on the couch. Unless you prefer the other way. I can make an exception.” He winks and eats a forkful of his food.
I gape at him, unable to speak for a moment. What he said makes me so damn warm. His words alone sent intense bolts down to my core.
“But would that be fine?”
“Hmm... This is delicious,” he says as he chews. “You haven’t made this before. Another improvised recipe?”
I eat a portion of mine and swallow it before I speak again, “No. Actually, it’s the sauce.”
He stabs another piece with the fork and brings it to my mouth. “Say, ah...”
“What? No!”
“Let me feed you.”
My cheeks flare. I hesitate, but he is insisting, so I slightly open my mouth, and when he’s about to feed me the steak, he eats it.
“Hey!”
He laughs at his prank, but he picks up a piece using his fingers. “Here.”
I immediately eat the food and suck the tip of his thumb.
He freezes, and his expression turns serious. His gray eyes are now watching me hungrily. The palpable tension gives me goosebumps and tickles my insides for a second time.
He shakes his head, chuckling.
“Bad girl,” he murmurs and presses a small kiss to my temple. “Let’s just eat for now.”